Getting Out of a Rut
The link between trivial chores and meaningful transformations.
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True life is lived when tiny changes occur.
Leo Tolstoy
We have a constant desire to progress from where we are today and where we want to be.
Unfortunately, we’re not very good at getting there.
We want to be healthier, happier, and wealthier, but making progress in these pursuits is difficult and time-consuming.
We don’t need to look much further than countless advertisements promising miraculous outcomes and our laundry lists of failed resolutions to see that we crave meaningful progress but rarely achieve it.
Our repeated attempts at improvement seem noble, but if they’re not intentional they do more harm than good.
Every failed attempt reinforces how hard improvement is and makes it harder to convince ourselves to try again next time.
If we fail repeatedly, we’re teaching ourselves that we can’t achieve what we want.
Eventually, we’ll stop trying altogether.
Big Changes Don’t Stick
When we want to make big improvements, we typically make big changes.
But big changes are rarely successful.
They’re motivating for a few days or weeks but we quickly fall back into old habits.
Making a huge change is like trying to turn an oil tanker around.
It takes a colossal amount of sustained effort to counteract the energy and momentum of the ship and turn it in another direction.
Making big sweeping changes in our lives requires the same colossal effort to overcome our existing habits, routines, and environment. It sets us up for failure.
Despite the immense difficulty of making profound changes, when we’re in a rut and want to improve, making big sweeping changes is an instinctual reaction.
We want to change. We want to progress. We want to eliminate mundane and shameful habits and replace them with rewarding and impressive routines.
But meaningful progress is difficult with an all-or-nothing approach.
Smaller Action, Bigger Change
Sometimes we need to start with the trivial to make progress on the meaningful.
We can prove to ourselves that we are capable of progress, consistency, and accomplishment by starting small.
If we tried to run a marathon on a whim we’d burn out and give up. Instead, we start with small seemingly trivial training runs that are short and meaningless compared to the length and gravity of an official race.
With each training running we’re not only training our body, but we’re also training our minds.
Each run is evidence that we are capable of following through and making progress.
Attempting big changes teaches us that failure is inevitable, but executing small changes teaches us that progress is possible.
Even progress and consistency unrelated to our ultimate goal provide us with confidence and momentum to continue making positive changes.
Making our beds and cleaning the kitchen can provide enough momentum to get us to the gym or have a meaningful conversation with a significant other.
Small intentional actions teach us the correct strategy and mindset to make consistent progress toward larger and more meaningful pursuits.
The sustainable path to meaningful progress on worthwhile pursuits begins with seemingly trivial chores.
Prompts
What big changes are you trying to make in your life? Why?
Have your attempts at accomplishing this change been big or small?
What habits or routines can you focus on to build confidence and momentum toward something bigger?
Deep Dive
Make Your Bed - Admiral William H. McRaven
A book about “Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World”.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you next Sunday.
Kevin